Have Mercy Southern Table & Bar

Have Mercy is a relatively new addition near Whyte Ave, located on the second floor above El Cortez. Once you walk up the stairs into this Southern bar, you're surrounded by loud and upbeat music. This is not a place to sit and chat, but a place to hang out and have a drink or two.

Disclaimer: I was invited to try out the recently revamped fall/winter menu for 2016, so the meal was on the house except for the extra drink I paid for.

The drink menu features a number of cocktails, almost all consisting of at least 2 oz of liquor. And with all that ice in the cup, I would say these drinks are pretty strong. My favourite out of the three I've tried was the sherry cobbler ($12) on the right below. It also had the most alcohol content (2.5 oz), but it was smooth and fruity and went down easy. The other two I had were the gin cocktail #6 ($12) and rattlesnake ($12) topped with foamy egg white, both very good cocktails in their own right. Complimentary pretzels were served with the drinks, and I must say the golden BBQ sauce was very addictive! It was smoky and tangy with just a bit of heat.

I'm not very familiar with Southern cuisine, so I thought the idea of shrimp and grits ($13) as a starter was interesting because I always thought of grits as a breakfast food (and not a particularly appealing one either). However, the grits in this dish was not bland as I had expected, but very savoury and rich combined with the slightly spicy sausage gravy. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the grits more than the shrimp.

The jalapeno queso dip ($12) was very rich and gooey with quite a good kick to it. But this starter needs to be eaten quickly because the cheese solidifies as it cools and loses that stringy gooey consistency.

Fried chicken and donut ($18) is one of the most popular entrees here, and for good reason. The chicken was tender and the coleslaw was refreshing. I would've liked a bit more coleslaw to balance out all of the fried food though. I did not think that chicken and donut go so well together, but the combination works just like beef and Yorkshire pudding. Also the advantage of getting this dish is that there's no need to order dessert because you can just save half of the donut for last.

The picture below is a half order of the Memphis dry rub pork ribs ($18), which is a pretty good portion for one person. I liked how the meat was not too dry and came off the bone easily. The seasoning was flavourful but not overly intense. However, the side of molasses BBQ beans was overwhelmingly salty and bitter. I think there was too much BBQ sauce and/or molasses, and I was unable to take more than a couple spoonfuls.

I really liked the vibe of this place and would return for drinks and snacks. Also I think the fried chicken and donut dish is something I will develop a craving for from time to time.